The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) sentenced former Jamaat leader Ghulam Azam to 90 years imprisonment in connection with crimes against humanity during the liberation war in 1971.
The tribunal said all five charges against Azam were proved but the jail term sentence was given considering his age.
Azam, 91, was found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on the charges that included murder and torture. He was accused of masterminding the atrocities committed during the war of independence against Pakistan.
Monday’s landmark verdict against the high profile war crime accused was marked by a nationwide day-long hartal called by Jamaat. The shutdown was marked by sporadic violence mostly outside the capital in which at least four people were killed.
A defence lawyer for Ghulam Azam later told reporters outside the crowded high security tribunal that they were unhappy with the sentence and that they will file appeal against the tribunal order.
One of the prosecutors talking to media afterwards said they had expected death penalty for Ghulam Azam and as such they were a bit disappointed at the jail-term prison sentence. But he said a formal reaction on the verdict from the prosecution will be given later after studying the full verdict.
ICT-1 started reading out its 75 pages out of the 243-page verdict against the former Jamaat chief in the morning.
Earlier on Monday, Azam, a high profile war crimes accused, was brought to the tribunal.
A micro-bus of Dhaka central jail brought Azam to the tribunal shortly after 10:00am from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) prison cell where the 91-year old former Jamaat leader had been under medical supervision.
On Sunday, the three-member tribunal, headed by its chairman, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, announced the date, 88 days after trial proceedings in the case ended on April 17.
A total of 61 charges in five categories of crimes against humanity were brought against the veteran Jamaat leader.
The allegations were categorised as conspiracy (six charges), planning (three charges), incitement (28 charges), complicity (23 charges), and murder (one charge).
This is the fifth judgement from the two International Crimes Tribunals (ICT), against the suspects of crimes against humanity, after the verdicts against Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar (January 21, 2013), Abdul Quader Molla (February 5, 2013), Delwar Hossain Sayedee (February 28, 2013), and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman (May 9, 2013).
Monday, July 15, 2013
Bangladesh: Ghulam Azam awarded 90-year imprisonment
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) sentenced former Jamaat leader Ghulam Azam to 90 years imprisonment in connection with crimes against humanity during the liberation war in 1971.
The tribunal said all five charges against Azam were proved but the jail term sentence was given considering his age.
Azam, 91, was found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on the charges that included murder and torture. He was accused of masterminding the atrocities committed during the war of independence against Pakistan.
Monday’s landmark verdict against the high profile war crime accused was marked by a nationwide day-long hartal called by Jamaat. The shutdown was marked by sporadic violence mostly outside the capital in which at least four people were killed.
A defence lawyer for Ghulam Azam later told reporters outside the crowded high security tribunal that they were unhappy with the sentence and that they will file appeal against the tribunal order.
One of the prosecutors talking to media afterwards said they had expected death penalty for Ghulam Azam and as such they were a bit disappointed at the jail-term prison sentence. But he said a formal reaction on the verdict from the prosecution will be given later after studying the full verdict.
ICT-1 started reading out its 75 pages out of the 243-page verdict against the former Jamaat chief in the morning.
Earlier on Monday, Azam, a high profile war crimes accused, was brought to the tribunal.
A micro-bus of Dhaka central jail brought Azam to the tribunal shortly after 10:00am from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) prison cell where the 91-year old former Jamaat leader had been under medical supervision.
On Sunday, the three-member tribunal, headed by its chairman, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir, announced the date, 88 days after trial proceedings in the case ended on April 17.
A total of 61 charges in five categories of crimes against humanity were brought against the veteran Jamaat leader.
The allegations were categorised as conspiracy (six charges), planning (three charges), incitement (28 charges), complicity (23 charges), and murder (one charge).
This is the fifth judgement from the two International Crimes Tribunals (ICT), against the suspects of crimes against humanity, after the verdicts against Abul Kalam Azad alias Bachchu Razakar (January 21, 2013), Abdul Quader Molla (February 5, 2013), Delwar Hossain Sayedee (February 28, 2013), and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman (May 9, 2013).
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